Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo! DVD Review

Hey folks, Valkor here. As a kid, and like most kids today, I've always enjoyed the antics of Scooby-Doo. I don't know what it is about that dog or his goofy gang of friends that had me glued to the TV every afternoon, but I was a fan. Then I got older, wiser, and into anime. And Scoobs was pushed to the back burner. But here we are in 2010 and Scooby-Doo along with Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Daphne are still around and just as popular as ever. And thanks to the folks at Warner Home, you'll get the chance to watch their latest animated, direct to DVD feature "Scooby Doo! Abracadabra-Doo".

The latest vid has the gang solving the mystery of a giant gryphon that's terrorizing a school that trains new magicians. It's run by Sherman Whirlen, his assistant Treena (Olivia Hack) who handles the animals, and his brother Marlon (Brian Posehn), who works the effects. And the place is cared for by Alma Rumblebuns (Diane Delano) and Amos the creepy groundskeeper (John Dimaggio).

Hmmmm… school of magic, creepy groundskeeper, powerful magician as the head of the school…. Sounds familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

Anywho, after Velma (Mindy Cohn) gets a call from her sister, Scooby (Frank Welker), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), Fred (Frank Welker), and Daphne (Grey Delisle), head for the school and the mystery solving begins. They'll face off against the gryphon, a banshee, and an Ice Cream tycoon who also wants control of the castle for himself, but who's behind it all? Will Madelyne (voice by Dani Harmer) and Shaggy hook-up? Will Scooby get his Scooby snacks? You'll get the answer to all these questions an more as you make your way through this exciting film.

And after the film you get a few extras; first up is Scooby-Doo! And puppets too! Hosted by Michael Moodoo, he teaches kids how to make their own puppets from household items. Not bad, but what? They couldn't get Jeff Dunham? Finally you get two trailers, one for Hot Wheels and the other is the next Scooby-Doo feature. Pretty basic stuff.

The Good:

First off I'm surprised by the voice acting chosen for this film; big props to snagging Matthew Lillard as the voice of Shaggy. Dude was the best thing to happen in the first live-action Scooby movie and it makes sense to have the perfect live actor play the perfect voice. Nice to see Mindy Cohn (Facts of Life) getting in some nice voice work too. Oh and Dave Attel as the G.P.S.? NICE! Every actor completes their character perfectly. The story is simple, very straightforward, and typical Scooby-Doo tale, with an ending you'll figure out once all the key players are in place. Though kids, especially the new generation, may get a kick out of guessing who it is. The older bunch, who knows how the formula works, will see it right away. And that's not a bad thing. The animation is pretty decent fare and they toss in some nice CGI that fits right in. Finally, I gotta give it up to the jokes, again I think it's more for the older bunch, such as people makin fun of Fred and his Ascot, Scooby and Shaggy make fun of how every mystery solved with "And we would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you lousy kids.", And Velma's exposition is cut short by a phone call just as she's about to wrap up the case in the beginning. Good story, great acting, and some laughs. That's what Scooby is all about.

The Bad:

The songs are kinda corny and a lot of the jokes are a bit dry. And the title is very weak.

The Ugly:

Michael Moodoo. UGH!! Did I really have to watch that?

Overall I say to any fan of Scooby-Doo, definitely pick up "Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo!" Definitely fun for the young TOVers in your household and it's something the older bunch can enjoy as well. Out of TOV 5 stars, I give Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo 3.5 stars and it's been Valkor tested and TOV approved.